Lesson One (Sablerose)

[Sablerose]

Calla slid out of her trance with a practiced ease. In the space of two blinks, her vision of the world went from the patterns of energy overlaying the landscape and its inhabitants to the normal form of sight that most people used.

She moved over next to her Familiar and sat next to Toph. The mini-quake hadn't bothered either too much, between its brevity and its minor intensity. Not to mention that Grey had seen Calla do it once or twice during her training.

"That, my friend, is Nature. Or at least your personal view of it." Call placed a hand on one of Toph's shoulder, to give the woman's new view of the world some familiarity as well as some solidity. "Your rather unique ability has led to a rather unique view of It when touched the power for the first time, I think.

"Let me try to explain it a little differently. Because you've never seen the world as most of the rest of us do, you don't have the biases toward color and light patterns we do. Most Druids coming into their training have an assumed view of the way the energy Nature creates should look. Additionally, most Druids learn to tap into the power through spells and invocations. You've probably been tapping into the upper layers of that same power without being consciously aware of it. Where a Druid learns to touch the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, you've been touching Earth for a long time. An experienced Druid might not be able to do as much with Earth as you can, but he or she will be able to manipulate the other elements as well."

Greystreak spoke up, his mental voice sent to both women. It's a sobering experience, as you can see. It's why many Druids are seen as being...well, stoic and a little eccentric by non-Druids. Nature demands a lot of Its priests and priestesses, but, in return, It offers compensation by allowing them access to what you just 'saw'. But don't be fooled, Toph. Druids are just as prone to every human emotion and quirk as any Queen, merchant or peasant. But because of who they are, what the do and what they represent, they have to be more careful of their emotional state. An truly angry Druid is amazing to behold. And terrifying as well.

"All right, that's enough lecturing for the moment, Grey," Calla said gently. "Toph's already shaken enough by all this. Err, no pun intended." She turned back to her friend. "Toph, are you okay? We can stop this at any time you want. I'm not willing to risk you being hurt in any way just to teach you what I know." There was a firmness in her voice, enveloped by a softer undertone. "What do you want to do?"

[Toph Bei Fong]

"Well I could use a drink, actaully," Toph said, still a little breathless. "Don't suppose you brought a flask..?" she added, smirking. "I mean that was... It was just so... and you can feel that all the time?""

Toph took a deep breath, and focused inward on her chi, forcing herself to be still and calm down. She let the breath out in a long, single exhalation. Calla still glowed naked in her awareness, and that still demanded her attention, but in light to what she had just felt it seemed less important. For now.

The smirk faded as Toph eyes stared more or less in the direction of her feet. "Now that I know I can touch It all that remains is practice, right? In that case, this might be a good time to take a breather and hold up my part of our agreement. "Calla, are you ready to earthbend?"

[Sablerose]

"Actually, not to demean the power, but, yes, a Druid is always in contact with It, in some form or another, but we tend to feel the lower level of power as if we're hearing crickets chirping at night. Yes, you recognize it's there, but after awhile, you stop paying attention until you need to. Ironically, it's one of the hardest lessons to learn, especially at the beginning.

"It might be easier for you, though. Your training Earthsight might actually help in ignoring a distraction like that. You'd just need to learn to filter it out."

At Toph's mentioning of her own lessons, she smiled. "If you think that you're up for it after all this, I would be honored. Is there anything special I should do in preparation?"

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph's smiled widened. "Famous last words," she chucked to herself. "I've taught a lot of earthbenders during the war, and they always asked a variation of that question in the beginning. 'Is this gonna hurt' was another common phrase. So I would tell them to stretch. Earthbending is a martial art art after all, and the frist step to conditioning your body for it is improving flexibility."

Toph shook her head. "But the war is over and you're not an earthbender yet. So for you, the frist step is to find your chi."

Toph patted Calla's leg in absent minded, friendly gesture before sitting up straight and folding her own legs into a lotus position.

"Chi is what we call the life force found in all living things. Benders can take their chi and harness it outwards toward one of the four elements, calling them to life, intensify them, or increase their affinity for them, like with my earthsight. But it all begins with the inner chi."

Toph raised her head, clouded eyes more or less facing towards Calla. "Because of your own training, this part might be super easy or super complicated. From what I...felt when you entered your trance, you call or reach outside of yourself to begin that awesome unison with nature... to find you chi, your own life energy, you have to look inside."

Toph took a deep breath, her hands in her lap and truned her attention inward. Years of practice resulted her finidng her own chi instantly. "With me so far? I have to admit, I've never tried teach this to a non-bender before, so I'm kinda flyin' blinder than usual."

[Sablerose]

Calla nodded at Toph's explanation. It certainly made sense, and it reflected the differences in how their respective powers worked. "I can give it try. I see your point on how it could be difficult or easy. Dropping into the trance might be the easy part, but looking inward instead of outward might be the hard part. Grey, if you'd help Toph keep an eye on my progress, that'd be great."

Certainly, though I'm not as certain what to look for here as I would be in your standard meditation. Still, I'll give it a try.

Calla closed her eyes and let herself fall into the meditative trance, as she had before. This time, though, she had to overcome her instinct to reach outward toward Nature, to link with Its power. Instead, she examined her own power, looking at it with new 'eyes'.

If she had chi, as Toph had called it, it would not be at the surface of the power she used with spells. No, it had to come from deeper. Nature was fueled by the existence of life and death, an endless cycle that would continue without the interference of mortals, even Druids. Druids simply did their best to keep that balance intact, without letting either one, even life, become overabundant. Her guess was that chi would be, by the definition of being an internal source, powered by life, and what she needed to focus toward was her own life energies.

It was, as she feared, difficult. She had difficulty in shifting the perception of the patterns that she took for granted whenever she meditated. So, she decided to be innovative. She touched Nature briefly, but only so that once she touched the power, she now had an open channel to connecting backward. Instinctively, she thanked Nature for the assist before severing contact as soon as she clamped down on the line.

It was an odd sensation. The line was clean and untarnished, and power flowed outward easily. Still, she had trouble working backward. Looking at blades of grass above ground did not prepare one for tracking the root systems underground, if one did not know how to look for the roots. She was sweating from the effort.

Then with a sudden implosion, she slammed through the barrier that sheltered her own power, her chi.

Her nerves were on fire, and she didn't realize she was screaming, both mentally and physically, until she felt Greystreak reaching for her, with Toph right behind. Then it was over. Her nerves settled immediately, though they still tingled. Her breathing was ragged, but stablizing quickly. She opened her eyes and had no idea at what point she had fallen on her back on the ground. She was just grateful that the grass was somewhat cool. against the burning of her skin and nerves.

"I...I think...I did it," she said, panting. "I'm just not sure...I want to do it...again. Soon, in any case." After a few more seconds of catching her breath, Calla said. "What the hell just happened?"

[Toph Bei Fong]

At first things were going fine. Not to be mistaken as successful, but the effort was clearly being made. From the glimpses she got from the link via Greystreak, Calla was definitely on the right track. If anything, Toph thought that Calla might actually be trying too hard, but wrote that off as the added focus needed to basically take a lifetime of experience and run it backwards. Toph liked it to if she woke up one morning and suddenly she could see. She'd have to learn to take in the world all over again, and pretty much from scratch.

She knew something was wrong a heartbeat before the screaming started. But in the panic of a flash phantom sympathetic pain before the link was cut, intentionally or reflexively, the tell flew from her mind. She 'saw' Calla go down, and was unfolding her legs to spring toward her for a catch. Alas, the lotus potion was hardly a battle ready one, and she arrived too late and was forced to kneel next to her and hover over her like a fool.

Calla recovered quickly, though Toph could feel the minute tremors in her body. To her question, a wide-eyed surprised Toph could only reply. "I-I'm not sure. That's never happened before." Sightless eyes narrowed. "I only felt it for a second, then the link was cut, but that wasn't right at all. There was a resistance and then..."

Toph was thinking aloud now. She stood, and resumed her pacing, her very step reinforcing her connection with earth, centering her. "Maybe you have just that much chi? Could be... I got no idea what touching the life force of the word itself so much would do to you own chi. Maybe its magnified somehow? Or more potent? If I could just check it somehow..."

Toph shook her head before returning to Calla's side, lowering herslef down on one need next to her. She offered her hand to help her up. "Maybe we call call it a day till we get this figured out?"

[Sablerose]

I was able to break the immediate connection to you, Toph, and threw up a shield to protect you from as much of the feeback as I could Greystreak said weakly. Calla could see just how much energy it must have cost him to do that. Even with the shield, though, the amount of power that penetrated was considerable. I made sure to take the brunt of it, but...well, it was a bit rough on me.

"Thank you, old friend," Calla said quietly. Her body still twitched every now and then, though the spasms were fading fast. At seeing, Toph's offered hand, though, she shook her head. "No, for all that pain, something felt...nearly right. I was nearly there. Right about to..." Then her eyes opened wide and her face went flush. "Oh, it couldn't be that simple, could it?"

[Toph Bei Fong]

"Yeah, thanks for that, she reaffirmed with Greystreak. "I guess I owe you one. What does one get for a familiar in the form of a wolf for a thank you? There has to be all kind of unseen faux pas for that kind of thing..."

When Calla shook her head at the offered hand, Toph shrugged and placed it on her shoulder instead. She felt a odd kind of shudder pass through the princess, somehow different than what she has been feeling before. "What?" she asked, feeling perfectly clueless.

[Sablerose]

A good steak, done rare or a haunch of meat works wonders in repayment, my dear, Greystreak replied with a very wolfish grin and his tongue hanging out one side.

Calla did not respond immediately to Toph's question, though it was not because she did not hear it. She was debating on just how much risk it was to her to try again, not to mention the others.

"Grey, I'm going to try again." Before he could put in a protest, she said firmly. "Don't try to link with me for this. Please, my friend. If I've got it right, you'll know. If I'm wrong, the only risk is to me. And I promise not to try again if it doesn't work this time." Of course, being able to try again is based on whether I survive the next attempt, she considered, keeping that thought tightly locked away from Grey.

The Familiar pinned Calla with a glare, but gave a quick canine nod. She figured that he'd have words for her later, in private. If she pulled this off, though, hopefully she be able to blunt their tone a bit.

Without further explanation, she slipped down into the trance again. Now that she knew where to look for a tendril of power in herself, she did not touch the exterior source of Nature. This time, however, the inward search was quicker, more stable. If nothing else, it was far less painful.

When she finally reached the core of her being, Calla was startled to find that it was as powerful as it was. She had always considered Nature to be the source of her power, with herself as a channel. But it made sense that to channel all that power, she would have to have the capacity to handle it. She 'touched' it and then there was a mental 'click', as something fell comfortably into place. Now, she realized, she would never have to fight to find that center. It might be difficult for away to reach it, but it would never be painful in attempts to access it.

"Grey," she said quietly. "I did it. Link in with Toph. I want you both to see this."

She felt Grey do so. What they 'saw' was a like a small sun inside her, radiating heat, but never uncomfortably so. Bright, but with no fear of blinding. A controlled maelstrom, as contradictory as that sounded, even to her.

"It was something you said, Grey," she said with a light laugh. "About how much power from the feedback had penetrated your shielding Toph, and how rough it was on you? It is odd how the mind works some times. The image it brought up to me...was just how it felt to lose my virginity. The idea that it was not particularly pleasant the first time around, especially with the maidenhood having to be breached. It was a similar idea here. The first time, working past a barrier that had never been touched. Of course I should have expected it to be difficult, even painful. But, once penetrated, an subsequent times should be easier.

"Never let it be said that even as a Princess Royal, that I can not have a bit of a dirty mind," she laughed.

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph snorted then laughed along with Calla. "Teach," she said, assigning yet another new nickname, "in my experience, everyone's got a dirty mind. Some are just better at hiding it that others is all. Hey that actually reminds me of a joke -- ah -- then again maybe now's not the time? And dont worry, Grey. I'm told no one can almost cook a steak as well as I can. Its a date."

Toph's hands remained on Calla's shoulder, her thumb rubbing against the fabric of her top in an absent minded, but affectionate manner. She 'saw', via Greystreak, the other woman's successful taping of her chi. "Right. Now then. Like I said. That's the frist step. It was supposed to the easiest, but that's life sometimes. The next part is actually harder. Are you ready to try it?"

[Sablerose]

Calla reached up and gave Toph's hand a solid squeeze. She didn't let go immediately, but when she did, it seemed reluctant. "Given what I just went through to get to that level, I'm not stopping now, unless you're tired. Even if it turns out that I can't Earthbend, I still want to see what I can do. I'm still good for a bit more of a work out.

"Now, what comes next?"

[Toph Bei Fong]

"This is the make or break part, Teach," said Toph. "Like I said the other night: benders are born. You either are one or you're not. This next step will test that."

Toph reclaimed Calla's hand that had just fallen from her own, and turned it slightly so that the palm was facing upward. She then raised her other hand, palm flat down toward the ground, then slammed it into the earth and twisted her wrist. There was slight tremble, then her fingers sank neatly into the grass as though she was gripping something. Which, as it turned out, she was: a clod of earth and rock, topped with grass. The clod was slightly larger than handful.

Toph placed that clod in Calla's upturned hand, the repeated the motion to gather a second clump for herself. "This is the most basic of all forms, the stating point from which one begins," Toph explained palling one hand over the clump of earth so that she was now holding it from top to bottom. "Pay attention to how I do it via that fancy link of yours. Center on your chi, then feel is flow through body to your hands. Once you can do that, pick a shape. Make it a simple one, like a cube or a heart, or even a globe. Stretch outward with you chi to the earth in your hand, and use it too form, or bend, the clump to the shape you pictured."

Toph's clump was hovering between her hands by now. Her fingers flexed, and the misshaped lump shock and quivered, then became a cube. Then a pyramid. Then a star. "If it helps to visualize, trace the shape on the earth with your finger first."

Through the link, one could see Toph's own chi, a radiant sunburst of green-white, flowed from her chest to her arms like lighting, where it slowed.. It was no longer viable as it influenced her body, but there was a kind of outflow between her hands as the rock and earth changed shape at her whim.

"Get it? Now you try."

[Sablerose]

Calla nodded her understanding, and she could feel Greystreak giving her encouragement. It was going to be difficult, she understood. If she had the talent, she would have the talent. Not everyone who recognized Nature's power and wonder could be come a Druid. Conversely, not everyone who became a Druid had the talent or skill to become a farmer. Each recognized Nature in his or her own way. Still, it would be interesting to see whether such an ability existed in her. As for what that could mean for her future as a Druid, or as the Crown Princess of Laurelmoon, she would worry about that later.

She closed her eyes and slipped into her trance. Sliding from that trance to centering on her chi was easier now, though she still fumbled her way to securing the hold. The fact that she had been able to achieve that was nothing short of miraculous. To her knowledge, no Druid had ever done what she had, though she would have to check on the official records whenever she managed to return home. Nevertheless, even if she had no further ability as a Earthbender, what she had managed was more than enough to take some pride in.

Once she latched on to her chi, she pushed and prodded at it, like a child agonizing over a tooth that just refused to fall out. She experimented, coming at it from different methods. She wasn't going to rush this, given the explosive results earlier. The power did not so much refuse to budge as it seemed to stretch and become pliant to the 'touch'. Calla could touch it, and she could mold it, but she could not seem to get it to flow.

Calla reconsidered how she was approaching it. She was trying to approach it as Toph would, with the skill and knowledge of an Earthbender. But Calla was not an Earthbender, certainly not now, if every she would be. She was a Druid, and that meant looking at the power of Nature as a whole, not simply one aspect. If the power wanted to act like water, than the best way to manipulate it was as if it were water.

The chi at the moment acted much like a drop of water, though on a larger scale. Calla's touch was like watching a water strider in action. The touched the surface of a pond, moving along the surface much like a person might slid the same body of water when it was frozen. But the water did not give under the minuscule weight of the insect, because of its light touch, and the spread of said weight across the surface.

No, she would need sufficient force to penetrate the surface, to drag the reticent power to where she wanted it. Unlike Nature, this was her power, from her very existence. She would not force Nature to bow to her will, but her power was a different story.

Now that she had a different perspective on the issue, Calla plunged her spiritual 'hands' into the bubble. It was warm, pulsating with her heartbeat. It did not resist, but neither did it do anything more than ready itself for her use. It would take her will to guide it, to shift the power, like a wall of earth of sufficient height and strength could bend the course of a river.

She opened her eyes and looked at the mound of slightly cool, damp earth in her hand. Then, she turned her mind toward it, dragging the energy of her chi with her. She struggled to aim it toward the clump. It was not something she had ever done before. Even with seeing Toph's efforts, she had no real reference of her own to draw from. So, her first time was to be a simple force of will. She mind's eye visualized her hands patting the clump into a globe. She could almost feel the cool grittiness on the palm of the hand which currently held nothing, though the muscles in that arm tensed at the visualization.

For a moment, she thought she saw it move, curve in slightly under the ghostly impact. But it was just her imagination.

Or at least it seemed to be.

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph released her own clump of earth, and it hovered in place, still in the shape of a star. Her minds eye, via earthsight at the link, were locked entirely on Calla to exclusion of all else. She though she might be holding her breath.

"I think I felt it move," she whispered. She stated to reach for Calla's hands, then seemed to think better of it and let hers fall. "What you just did," she suggested quietly, not wanting to break the other's concentration. "Do it again. Only... you know.. more."

[Sablerose]

She did not break her concentration to nod. In fact, there was no sign on her face that she was even aware that Toph had spoken. In truth, she had heard every word, but she was afraid that even a single slip in focus would ruin everything. Instead, she turned even more to seeing the clump. But now, she decided to truly 'see' the clump.

What Toph lacked in sight, she had made up for in talent and instinct. What Calla lacked in that talent and instinct, she made up for in sight. But just seeing with her eyes. Her Druidical skills gave her a much different perspective on the very ground. So, she turned that knowledge toward the clump. She let her senses touch each grain, every torn root. She knew spells that could duplicate what Toph was capable of doing, but not on so intimate a level. Now, she had the opportunity to try.

And, by ever so little, the clump folded, moved achingly slow. It shifted, closing in on itself. Sweat dripped from Calla's forehead into her eyes, and she blinked at the sting of the salt, but she did not let her will slip. Then finally, with a mental thrust and twist, the earth completed its alteration.

A nearly perfect sphere sat in her hand.

Calla smiled when she saw it. And then passed out.